Plastic is non-biodegradable and pollutes the oceans. Petroleum is needed to produce plastic bags. All plastics will have a resin identification code somewhere. These numbers range from 1-7 with 2, 4 and 5 being the safest and 1, 3, 6 and 7 should be avoided. All plastic products can cause toxins to be released when heated and damaged.
The 3 R’s — reduce, reuse, and recycle — are about condensing the waste, repeating use until impossible, and recycling all that is possible to make new things. Following these ideas as a community can make a larger impact on our world. Some ways to help reduce the amount of plastic bags would be to use your own reusable shopping bags, using matches instead of plastic encased lighters, using a reusable water bottle, and packing a no waste lunch. There are several ways that plastic bags can be reused. Some ways are to pack a lunch, switch from disposable to reusable items, donate items to others in need, line a trash can with a grocery sack to collect the trash, and pick up dog waste. Plastic bags can be recycled into several items including: a laptop bag, a coaster, a rug, a pot scrubber, cloth napkins, plastic flower pot and chewing gum.
Twelve million tons of plastic waste makes it into the ocean every year. It can suffocate hundreds of marine species including the sea turtles. When the plastic bags and the plastic yokes end up in the ocean, a sea turtle can get stuck in the holes or bags and suffocate. Sea turtles will often mistake a floating plastic bag for a jellyfish and eat it causing intestinal harm and sometimes starvation. If a bird consumes a plastic bag, the bird will stop eating which will lead to death from starvation. The littering of plastics can harm the soil, degrade the esthetic of the area, and block water drains. Whenever you put plastics somewhere hot it releases toxins which is why you should never burn plastic.
In conclusion, plastic bags are difficult and expensive to recycle and most end up in landfill sites where they take 400 years to decompose and can cause harm to wildlife when it releases toxins into the soil. Plastic bags can hurt animals and humans from the toxins entering the soil and making their way to the water below the surface. As a community, we should strive to not litter and recycle and reuse whenever possible.
Girl Scout Troop #1372: Alison, Brae’Lynn, Cassidy, Charlie, Hazel, Holly, Lyric, Nevaeh, Phaedra, Raeliegh and Tori contributed this guest column to the Journal Review.
